


Miraculous Revised Part Two

by Cheetahgirl_Studios



Series: Miraculous Revised [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:14:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26429965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheetahgirl_Studios/pseuds/Cheetahgirl_Studios
Summary: Well, I starved y'all long enough! I'm sorry for the delay: after a long hard battle with wavering motivation I was able to finally get this done.I'm going to try a new tactic: I'll post a new chapter every Saturday and Wednesday and see how that works. As usual, feedback (positive AND negative) is welcome.  If you guys don't like it, then I can go back to uploading it as a complete work.
Series: Miraculous Revised [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921117
Comments: 23
Kudos: 7





	1. The Fall of a Rising Hero

_Previously…_

_A mysterious villain transformed Ivan, a student at Francois Dupont High School into the monster Stoneheart. Two teenagers- Marinette Dupain and Adrien Agreste- were recruited to bring him down. However, Marinette forgot to capture the akuma: a creature that corrupts its victims and allows them to become villains. Now, Paris is overrun with Stoneheart copies, and Marinette has forfeited her role as Ladybug. And the akuma is still roaming free…_

Marinette pulled on her clothes, sighing to herself as she slumped down on her bed. She buried her face in her hands, groaning. _It’s simple. Take the box to school. Find a worthy Ladybug. Leave the box somewhere they’ll find it._ She dragged herself off the bed, trudging over to her dresser. She picked up the small black box, running her thumb over the smooth, cool wood. Tikki’s pleas still rang clear in her head, followed by the deafening silence afterwards. She stared at the box, her fingers creeping towards the lid to snap it open. She drew them back, closing her eyes as the corners of her mouth twisted downwards in regret. _No. It’s better this way. I’ll just end up letting everyone down._ She palmed the box, burying it in her carrier bag before snapping the clasps shut. She picked up her schoolbag, hoisting the trapdoor open and making her way downstairs.

She took her seat at the counter, pouring herself breakfast. Her father was watching the news, which was displaying the stone monsters. Marinette let out a whimper, sinking in her seat. Her father- noticing his daughter’s distress- laid a reassuring paw on her shoulder. “It’s going to be okay Mari. I’m sure Ladybug and Cat Noir are working to fix this mess as we speak. We’ve just got to stay strong and show we’re not afraid.” Marinette glanced at him, her eyes filled with worry. “But… what if they can’t?” Tom smiled at her. “Then, I’ll save you!” He jabbed a whisk in the air, waving it about like a sword. “Super Baker, to the rescue!” Marinette giggled, hugging her dad. “Thanks Super Dad.” Once her breakfast was eaten, she gathered her things and left for school.

Adrien panted as he tore along the park’s dirt path, the trees blurring together into a green mess. Plagg flew alongside him, freeing himself from his owner’s messenger bag. “You are officially the WEIRDEST kid I’ve ever met! Why do ya wanna go to school when you can stay home all day?!” Adrien glared at him. “You don’t get it Plagg! This is my only chance to have a normal life! That’s all I want! To be able to hang out with people my age!” The kwami sighed. “Most kids rebel by shaving their heads or getting tattoos. Never knew education counted too.”

Marinette plodded along the sidewalk, her face darkening as she neared the school. “MARINETTE!” a voice yelled, brimming with excitement. Looking back, Marinette saw Alya dashing to catch up with her. “Ah. You managed to not die. Good. I was starting to worry.” Alya rolled her eyes. “You can joke all you want, girl. But you will not BELIEVE what happened! I met not one, but TWO real life superheroes! It was so AWESOME! They kicked Stoneheart’s ass! And that’s not even the best part!” She typed something into her phone, nudging Marinette excitedly. “The news station used the footage I shot! In fact…” she pulled up a new webpage, which displayed a blog. “The Ladyblog…” Marinette muttered under her breath. Alya nodded her head frantically. “It’s an idea I had! I’m hoping someday I can snag an exclusive interview with THE Ladybug and Cat Noir themselves! Who knows? Maybe I’ll even find out their real identities! How cool would that be?!” Marinette smiled, patting her best friend’s shoulder. “Maybe. Nothing wrong with having goals, right?” She thought for a minute. “Hey, Alya, why do you look up to her so much? Ladybug.” Alya shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? The girl’s crazy brave. And creative too. She and Cat Noir brought down a 50 foot stone monster with nothing but a body suit and a hosepipe! How many people do you know can do that?” Marinette’s shoulders drooped, and she slowed to a standstill. “But… these monsters… aren’t they her fault? What if she fails?” Alya waved a dismissive hand. “Don’t worry, girl. She’ll fix it. I have faith in her! Wait a minute…” She glared at Marinette. “I know what this is about.” Marinette gulped, shivering. “Y-You do?” she stammered. “You’re scared! But don’t fret. Ladybug will fix it. Her and Cat Noir will win. Just you wait!” Marinette nodded curtly. “Yeah…” Her hand tightened on her bag. _She will._

“I’m telling you, I don’t remember what happened!” Marinette and Alya stopped, looking over to where the voice came from. Ivan was sitting on a distant bench, crowded by his classmates. “Seriously? Nothing at all?” The pink haired girl queried, cocking a suspicious eyebrow. “You freaked out and turned into a huge monster. It was honestly SO cool!” exclaimed a tall girl with dark hair and purple streaks. “You were out to get me dude!” Kim remarked, thankfully seeming to have forgiven him for the attempted murder. Ivan sighed: before something caught his eye. A girl was distanced from the horde of students, staring at the ground as she wrung her hands. Golden yellow eyes caught his gaze for a second, before quickly looking away again as a blush brushed her cheeks. Alya joined the group, while Marinette hung back and observed from a distance.

A grating laugh caught their attention. “Not surprised. That temper of his is a time bomb just waiting to go off.” Chloe was leaning nonchalantly against a pillar, inspecting her nails as she smirked. “Who asked for your opinion?” Alya snapped, causing the bully to look up. She scanned the girl, before scoffing. “And who would you happen to be? And, more importantly, what makes you think you have the right to talk to me like that?” Alya growled, marching over to where Chloe was. “Alya no! Don’t!” Marinette cried out, trying to stop her friend. The bully cackled. “Wait, you’re friends with THAT?! Ha! You really must be desperate for friends if you’re willing to settle for Marinette!” Alya stared fiery death at her, sneering. “Yeah? Well, did no one ever tell you it’s not polite to insult people?” Chloe feigned a shocked reaction. “Me? Insult people? I would NEVER! I’m just simply stating the obvious: he’s a big guy with an even bigger temper. It’s not MY fault he snapped and started stomping around beating people up! It’s what monsters do!” Ivan bolted to his feet, his face twisting in anger. He stomped off, fists balled, as the rest of the group glared at Chloe. “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!” she called after him, her tone jeering and mocking. “Not cool Chloe. You DO realise he was just after being turned back from a rabid monster, right? If he gets pissed off, who knows what’ll happen to him!” the pink haired girl barked. Chloe shrugged. “So what? His problem, not mine.”

Adrien made his way to the steps, taking them two at a time. “ADRIEN! STOP!” He glanced back, skidding to a stop. Nathalie was anxiously waiting at the door of the car, taking a step forward. He took a breath, suppressing his growing dread. “Nath, please. Tell my father you got here too late. Please,” he pleaded. She remained frozen, deep in thought for a moment. Eventually, she let out a sigh of defeat, gesturing to the door. His face brightened, nodding. He tore up the remainder of the steps, beaming. Nathalie got into the front passenger seat of the car, a heavy silence palling over her and the bodyguard. “I’ll take care of it.”

Alya gawped at Chloe in disbelief. “What is WRONG with you?! Can you be any more insensitive?! Why the HELL did you think making Ivan angry was a good idea?!” she barked, practically foaming at the mouth with anger. The bully scoffed. “Oh come on. If he’s tough enough to survive getting the crap kicked out of him by two ‘superheroes’, then surely some sticks and stones won’t be that big a deal.” Alya’s lower eyelid twitched. She glowered at Chloe, her eyes filled with frustration and anger. “Why you little-!” A hand rested on her shoulder. Glancing back, she saw Marinette looking at her, silently pleading her to leave it alone and walk away. Sighing, she nodded. She glared back at the bully, who cocked an inquisitive eyebrow. “Little what? Go on, finish what you were going to say.” Alya balled her fist, repressing the urge to smash it across Chloe’s smug face and wipe off that annoying smirk. She felt Marinette’s grip tighten, and a quick look over her shoulder made her realise that she was starting to pale. She shook her head. “Forget it. You’re not worth the waste of breath.” She stalked away, with Marinette going with her. As she made her way across the courtyard, she could hear Chloe’s teasing voice chase her. “You might want to be careful there. We don’t want you splitting your underwear and turning into a big, hulking monster like Ivan now, would we?”

Sabrina tapped Chloe on the shoulder, pointing towards the front doors. “Hey, Chloe, isn’t that-“ “ADRIEN!” The poor soul was left sprawled out on the floor by her friend as she took off, sweeping her best friend up in a hug. “You made it! I thought your dad was going to kill you or something!” Adrien smiled, patting the girl comfortingly on her head. “Hey Chlo. Good to see you too.” The open display of affection attracted the attention of everyone else in the yard.

“Whoa! That’s Adrien Agreste! The model!”

“I didn’t know he was coming here!”

“Wow. He’s way dreamier in person!”

The students crowded around the two, buzzing and clamouring with excitement. Chloe tore herself away from Adrien, her brow creasing with worry as she gazed at the amassing horde. She glanced back at Adrien, noticing that he was fidgeting slightly. _Ah. Right. I forgot._ She grabbed his arm, shoving her way through the crowd. “Sorry. No autographs!” Adrien breathed a sigh of relief, flashing her a thankful smile. She dragged him away from the crowd, finding somewhere a bit less cramped to talk. “Thanks Chloe. I owe you one.” She shrugged. “Don’t mention it. But I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how were you able to sneak past your father? Did you jump out the window or something?” He shook his head. “Not exactly. Nathalie caught me, but I was able to convince her to let me go.” Chloe stared at him, eyes widening. “Really? I always figured she was some kind of robot. But I’m glad to see you again. I can show you around, if you want.” He gave her a gentle smile. “Sure. Why not?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm, looks like Chloe's playing Jekyll and Hyde!
> 
> Anyways, here's the first chapter. I decided to cut way back on exposition and just focus on the characters, as requested by one of my readers. After all, you guys aren't stupid. Y'all have brains, right? :P
> 
> As for Chloe's double act, that little shenanigan will be explained later. One of my biggest gripes with Chloe and Adrien's relationship is that we don't get any legitimate reasons as to why they're friends to begin with. Really the show made Adrien look like an utter BUFFOON by having him be absolutely oblivious to her antics. So, I figured I would have her act nice to Adrien and spiteful to everyone else. Why? *evil chuckle* That is for me to know, and for you to find out my dear readers...
> 
> Anyways, comment your thoughts and theories!


	2. The Right Girl for the Job

Ivan buried his head in his hands, trying to calm himself down. He took deep breaths, remembering the exercises he was taught. Then that annoying voice piped up in his head. _“Not surprised. That temper of his is a time bomb just waiting to go off.”_ He gritted his teeth, trying to drown it out. _“He’s a big guy with an even bigger temper. It’s not MY fault he snapped and started stomping around beating people up! It’s what monsters do!”_ He growled, that familiar sense of frustration welling up in his chest. _Why does everyone think I’m a monster?! I made a mistake! That doesn’t make me evil! She’s the **real** monster! Why does everyone who hurts me get away with it, and I get punished?! It’s not fair… IT’S NOT FAIR!_

“I-Ivan…?” A small voice brought him back to reality. Looking up, he saw her. The blue haired girl who always avoided everyone else. “Hey. Marinette, right?” She nodded, sitting down next to him. “Yeah. I’m actually surprised you know who I am.” He glowered at the floor, grumbling. “Why are you here? I thought you of all people would want to stay away from me.” She shrugged. “You were upset. After what happened, I didn’t want to just leave you by yourself. I was worried something bad would happen.” He glanced over at her briefly, before looking to the floor again. “And I don’t think you’re a monster. You’re a good person, Ivan. You just lost control of your temper, that’s all. It’s perfectly normal.” He sighed, looking at her. “It’s not just that. It’s bad enough that I freaked out, but I got turned into that _thing._ I was trying to kill Kim, all over some stupid note!” Marinette cocked her head. “Note? What note?” Of course, she knew perfectly well what he was talking about. But obviously she couldn’t just blurt that out. He sighed, shoving a paw inside one of his pockets and digging around. He pulled out a balled up piece of paper, gently setting it in her hand. “I found this on my desk. I recognised Kim’s handwriting, and when I faced him about it, he started making fun of me. After that I snapped.” She skimmed over the note, as she already read it before. “That’s horrible! How can he say that?!” Ivan shrugged. “To be honest, he’s right. I can never bring myself to tell Mylene how I really feel. I’m worried I’ll scare her away, or that she won’t want anything to do with me. Why would she?”

An unbearable silence followed, and Marinette looked back at the note and then to Ivan. She didn’t really know what to say to comfort him. Does she say Kim’s wrong, or affirm that Ivan isn’t a monster like he claims to be? She braved a comforting smile, gently patting his shoulder. “I think you just need to think a bit more positive. And play to your strengths.” He stared at her, his brow knitting together in confusion. “What do you mean?” Marinette gestured to the note. “Well, we know you’re not very good with words. Luckily, there’s so many other ways of telling someone you love them than just saying so. You can give her flowers, buy her a present…” Ivan’s face brightened. “What about a song? Could that work?” he asked hopefully. Marinette nodded, beaming. “Of course! If it makes it more comfortable for you, then a song totally works!” A bright smile broke out on his face, and he gave a nod. “Okay. Thanks Marinette.” She gave him a pat on the back, grabbing her things and getting up from the locker room bench. “You’re welcome. I’m just happy I could help.” She left him with his thoughts, making her way to class. _Huh. I guess she isn’t so bad once you get to know her._

“Nino…” “Nino…” “NINO LAHIFFE!” Nino snapped his head up, pulling his headphones down from his ears. “Yeah? What’s up?” Mrs Bustier gestured to the front of the classroom: specifically the first workbench. “I was thinking you could sit here this year. You’re always huddled up there away from everyone else.” Grumbling and cursing under his breath, Nino grabbed his things and dragged himself down to the front of the class. “I don’t see why I can’t sit where I always do, Mrs. B. I was totally fine up there.” She shook her head. “I know, Nino. But it’s not very healthy- I can’t for the life of me remember the last time I’ve seen you interact with your classmates.” He leaned back, scoffing. “Yeah. For good reason. They don’t care ‘bout me. To them I’m invisible. And to be honest I kinda prefer it that way. If they don’t see me then I’m off their radars.” The teacher sighed. “I’m well aware of the bullying that takes place here at school, Nino. But you can’t live your whole life hiding in a shell. Healthy social relationships are a cornerstone in a person’s mental wellbeing. As your teacher you and the others’ health and safety are my number one priority.” Nino rolled his eyes, pulling his headphones back on and blasting up the volume. So what if he never talked to anyone else? He’s seen the way they treat each other: and that drama is NOT something he needs or wants to be a part of. He liked his cosy little corner away from everyone else. It was just him and his music. While he could understand where Mrs. Bustier was coming from, he didn’t mind being by himself. At times, he would often come across as cold or uncaring, but in reality it was the opposite. He cared too much. He cared too much about what the other kids would be like. He cared too much about all of the mocking and the teasing. He cared too much about what they would say about him. What she called a shell, he called a fortress. Where he could just live his life carefree.

Marinette lagged behind Alya as they walked to class, holding her bag containing the box close. She took a deep breath, and quickened her pace to catch up with her friend. “Hey, Alya, can I ask you a question?” Alya nodded. “Sure. What’s up?” Marinette looked at the ground for a minute, mustering up the strength to ask. “What if someone gave you superpowers, and you had the chance to become a superhero? What would you do?” Alya cocked an intrigued eyebrow. “Bit of a weird question, but I would be PSYCHED! That sounds like a dream come true! I would totally agree to do it! Imagine- I could be like Ladybug! Strong! Confident! FEARLESS!” Marinette nodded, subtly clicking open the clasps to her bag. “Yeah. And you know what? I think you’d be perfect for the job.” While she was distracted, Marinette palmed the small box and slipped it into Alya’s satchel. _Don’t worry Tikki. She’ll be better for you. I promise._ “You feeling okay, girl? You look kinda worried. Something bugging you?” Marinette shook her head, smiling. “Oh. Don’t worry. I was just thinking, that’s all.” Alya shrugged. “If you say so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey look Marinette's actually a good person here.
> 
> I kept to my promise. I'll update this every Saturday and Wednesday as a mid-week/weekend treat for you guys. As always, theories and all feedback are not only allowed, they're encouraged. 
> 
> I feel like I should clarify something here: and it involves Nino. The reason he's so introverted is to not only flesh out his character a bit, but it's also a nod to a CERTAIN character who'll be introduced later. ;)
> 
> Also, I need a villain for the next instalment in the franchise. As we speak, Part Two is currently seven tenths complete- so I'm almost done with this addition. I'm either going to do The Bubbler or Stormy Weather after this. Either one suits me, so let me know which one sounds more appealing.
> 
> And keep the theories coming! Seriously, I love reading them. Like, you have no idea how much joy I feel when a new one slides into the comments.
> 
> Bug out!


	3. Heart of Stone

Ivan took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. _Come on Ivan! You’ve got this! Just whatever you do, do NOT fuck this up!_ He ran his eyes over the lyrics he wrote, nodding as he smiled. For the first time in a long while, he felt confident of himself. He felt sure and strong. Mylene was going to love this. He just knew it! Something small bumped into him, startling him and making his large frame freeze up. “I-Ivan! You scared me there for a minute!” Mylene was staring at him in surprise, her golden yellow eyes wide with shock. “I-I wrote you something,” he stammered, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He pulled up a heavy metal instrumental, and followed through with his idea. When he looked over again, he stopped the soundtrack. Mylene scampered away, hands pressed firmly over her ears. Ivan could feel his heart sinking as he watched her flee, fighting back tears of heartbreak. He gritted his teeth, slumping onto the ground as he glared at the piece of paper. He crushed it in his fist, cursing himself as he let his building anger take over. _Stupid! Of course she wouldn’t like it! Chloe was right! Guys like me are just monsters! Always have been, always will be! How could you be so dumb?!_ He buried his face in his hands, his nails digging into his skin as he tightened his grip. If he had looked up, maybe he would’ve noticed the pitch black butterfly dragging itself through the crack in the window and drifting towards him…

“AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Everyone in the class startled at the sudden screeching outside. A boy walked into the classroom, smiling nervously and waving outside. Chloe hastily followed him, slamming the door shut on the horde of girls outside. Nino cocked his head, staring at the new guy. Chloe gestured to the seat next to him. “Here, I saved you a seat.” The boy smiled at her, nodding and stating a quiet thank you. He nestled himself down next to Nino, who moved back a little. He glared at him, then to Chloe, then back to him. “So, you’re friends with Chloe, huh?” The boy turned his head around, looking confused before realising he was talking to him. “Oh! Yeah. Why do you ask?” Nino’s eyebrows shot up in moderate surprise. “Uh, no reason. I was just askin’.” He scanned the new guy, narrowing his eyes. “Hey… Wait a sec. You’re that teen model, aren’t you? Adrien Agreste, right? Your old man’s some kinda famous fashion designer or something.” Adrien sighed, his face falling a bit. “Yep. That’s me…” His sullen mood was… _unexpected,_ to say the least. Nino was half expecting him to start rambling about how great his life was, considering how he was friends with Chloe and all. “Well, what’s a celebrity like you doing here? I thought your dad would have you hooked up in some kind of private school.” Adrien leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms as guilt played at his features. “Actually… he doesn’t know I’m here.” Nino had no doubt he looked like an idiot right now, with his jaw practically on the floor. “Whoa! Mr. Perfect’s got a rebellious side!” he jested, trying to lighten the guy’s mood. Nothing. Adrien looked over at him, his brow creased. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be putting all this on you. It’s just-“ He paused for a minute, exhaling sharply. “To be honest, I don’t really like being treated differently than everyone else. All I really want is to be like other kids my age, without my father breathing down my neck. I mean, maybe I’m being ungrateful. But I just want to be able to make friends, and go to the movies, and just be… I don’t know, _normal?_ ” Nino stared at the desk for a minute, lost in thought. He looked up at Chloe, then to Adrien. He gave him a smile, extending his hand. “Well then, it’s your lucky day dude. Name’s Nino.” Adrien looked at his hand, a bright smile breaking out on his face. He shook Nino’s hand, smiling away to himself.

“Marinette? Hello? Earth to Dupain?” Marinette shook her head frantically, snapping herself back into focus. Alya was watching her, one eyebrow cocked in concern. “You’ve been staring at that guy for the last five minutes. What’s up?” Marinette blinked hard, erasing the ludicrous ideas from her mind. “Sorry, he just looks… familiar, that’s all.” Alya quickly glanced over Marinette’s shoulder at the new boy, her brow furrowing as she hummed in concentration. “Ah. I think I recognise him.” She typed something into her phone, showing Marinette the screen. “Adrien Agreste? His dad is Gabriel Agreste- my fashion designing idol!” Marinette exclaimed, brimming with delight. Alya glanced at Adrien again, her eyes filling with distain. “Agreste or not, he seems real buddy-buddy with that Chloe girl,” she muttered, jabbing her thumb in his direction. Marinette followed her gaze, her heart sinking a tad. “You think he’s like her?” Alya leaned back in her seat. “Well, let’s see. Daddy’s boy, teen model, his bank account makes Scrooge McDuck look like a beggar, him and Chloe are besties…” She counted each point off on her fingers. “Yeah… Not looking too good.” Noticing her friend’s sinking mood, Alya gently nudged Marinette. “Hey, it could be worse. They could be dating. Imagine having a demon like Chloe as a partner!” Marinette chuckled, her face brightening. The teacher cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Now that everyone’s settled, I’d like to welcome you all to a new school term! I’m Mrs Bustier, as some of you may know. Now, before we begin I’d like to take a quick roll call.”

As she took attendance, Marinette found her gaze straying back to Adrien. This nagging voice in the back of her head kept telling her that he looked eerily familiar. _Surely_ that’s because of all the ads around Paris? _No. There’s something else. He looks like someone else. But who?_ “Adrien Agreste?” Adrien remained seated, completely in a world of his own. The boy next to him- Nino Lahiffe- nudged him and whispered something in his ear. Suddenly he bolted up, standing to attention. “PRESENT!” he barked, a little bit louder than he should’ve. A wave of laughter surged through the class, as his face turned bright red and he slowly sank back into his seat. The teacher smiled at him sympathetically, before continuing the roll call. “Mylene?” A small voice droned a quiet “Here”. Marinette risked a glance at Mylene, who was slouched over and burying her face in her arms. _That’s weird. I know Mylene’s never been the outgoing type, but she’s not usually so gloomy. What’s gotten into her?_ “Ivan?” Silence was her response. “Ivan?” Mrs Bustier scowled to herself, scanning the class. “Has anyone seen Ivan?”

Suddenly, the wall next to Marinette and Alya exploded into debris and rubble. They dived out of the way, crashing onto the floor with devastating impact. Burning green eyes shone through the heavy, dusty fog, as two enormous rocky paws ripped into the wall. _No… No no no no no no no no no!_ Stoneheart swivelled his clunky head left and right, finally settling on Mylene. He palmed her in one fell swoop of his massive hand, holding her close to him. She squeaked in fear, her mousy eyes widening. “I-Ivan? What are you doing?! Put me down, please!” Stoneheart shook his head. “I’m not Ivan anymore. I’m Stoneheart now, and I’m going to make sure we can be together forever! You’ll see!” Something caught his eye, and his rocky features twisted in rage. “YOU!” he roared, shooting his free hand forwards and grabbing something from below one of the desks. Chloe scrabbled to grab hold of something, mortal terror welling in her eyes as she was dragged towards the monster. She tried to dig her nails into the floorboards, but compared to Stoneheart she had the physical strength of a _twig_. With the two girls in his grasp, Stoneheart pulled himself free of the classroom, his footsteps shaking the ground as he stalked away. Marinette was frozen stiff, trembling as she raced to process what just happened. _Oh God… This is my fault again, isn’t it? I just HAD to give Ivan that sappy, shitty advice didn’t I? God, how can I be so STUPID?!_ She noticed Alya was scurrying to gather her things, pocketing her phone. “Seriously Alya?! You’re going after him AGAIN?!” she exclaimed, still trying to muster the strength to move. “Well, yeah! I mean, what am I supposed to do? Miss the opportunity to capture Ladybug’s and Cat Noir’s heroic triumph? You can come with me, if you want.” Marinette shook her head. “Uh, n-no thanks. I think I’ll stay here, thanks.” Alya shrugged. “If you say so.” And with that, she tore out the classroom door in pursuit of certain doom. Marinette sighed: before realising something. Her skin paled, and she gulped. “ALYA! WAIT! YOU FORGOT YOUR BAG!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the poor oblivious child.
> 
> Sorry if this is a bit late. Sometimes WiFi just doesn't want to be WiFi y'know? And I don't mean the villain!
> 
> Anyways, y'all know the drill. I'll see you in the comments.


	4. Miraculous Recovery

Mylene tried to remain calm, even though every part of her conscious was screaming in horror right now. It was obvious to her that Ivan wasn’t himself- of course he wasn’t! The Ivan she knew would never bring himself to hurt a butterfly, let alone two people. Then again, the Ivan she knew also wasn’t a 50 foot monster made of stone… Looking over, she saw Chloe clawing desperately at the fist holding her captive. “You don’t have to do this, Ivan! Please! I know this isn’t you!” she pleaded, hoping to appeal to any humanity left in him. The monster shook his head. “No. I’m doing this for you, Mylene. For _us._ He told me this was the only way.” Mylene could feel her heart plummet to her stomach. _Wait… Oh no. Did I do this? Was I the reason he got turned into a supervillain? Oh God, what have I done?_ A cry of frustration from Chloe cut off her derailing train of thought. “Where are those stupid heroes when you need them?!”

Adrien ducked into the locker room, using the carnage created by Stoneheart as cover. He held open his jacket, nudging his pocket. “Plagg! Wake up! Time to go!” Plagg scrabbled out of his pocket, yawning loudly. “’Bout time. I was starting to fall asleep.” Adrien stared at him blankly. “Starting to?” He sighed. “So much for the first day of school. I didn’t even make it past roll call!” Plagg shrugged. “Hey. That means no homework. You should be feeling pretty damn lucky kid!” Adrien shook his head. “Look, we can argue about this later. Right now, a giant monster out there needs stopping. Ladybug should be there already. Plagg, _claws out!”_ The kwami let out a little shriek as he was pulled inside the ring, and a jade light enveloped Adrien. He could feel his mask form over his eyes, and he reached up with his hands and formed the cat ears that perched on top of his head. He kicked open the locker room window, extending his staff and allowing himself to fall forwards on its support.

“Put me down you freak! You don’t know who you’re messing with! Once my father finds out about this, he’ll have the police, the army, the entire cavalry on your sorry behind!” Stoneheart rolled his eyes. He had no idea why Chloe thought that by launching threats he would somehow change his mind. Nor why she believed clawing at STONE would somehow inflict pain on him. “Don’t forget the superheroes!” Startled, he snapped his head around. Cat Noir swung his staff down on Stoneheart’s head, metal smashing against stone with an ear-splitting crack. The hero landed gracefully in a crouch, half turning to see if that did the trick. His confident grin faded quickly whenever Stoneheart’s bulky frame only doubled in size. _Shit. Forgot. Hitting him only makes him stronger._ Chloe scoffed, clearly unimpressed by the fudged act of bravado. “Super incompetent more like.” He scowled. “Hey! I’m trying my best here! Besides, I don’t see you coming up with any ideas!” Before she could snap back, a thundering roar interrupted the petty dispute between rescuer and rescuee. Stoneheart grinned wickedly, an air of arrogance gleaming in his eyes. “You wanted the cavalry? Well, here they are!” Lumbering stone creatures stormed towards the feline superhero, snarling and ready to tear him apart. “Take him down. Don’t be afraid of getting your hands dirty,” Stoneheart growled, as he turned his back on the soon-to-be bloodbath and walked away. Cat Noir gulped, desperately scanning the rooftops. _Ladybug, if this is your idea of a dramatic entrance, then I think we need to have a talk later about good timing!_ He wasn’t stupid. There was no way he could take on all of the monsters at once, even if he used the Cataclysm. He glared after the villain, sneering. “Hey! I’m not done with you yet Boulder Brain!” he roared, running towards the villain. He clubbed a clone on the side of its head when it went to grab for him, and he was thankful that they didn’t possess his powers. Carrying his momentum, he launched himself onto a nearby wall and pushed off with all his might, sending him a good few feet into the air.

“Ivan, please! Listen to me! You don’t have to do this! If you do, you’re just proving everyone else right! You’re better than this! You’re not Stoneheart! You’re not a monster! Where are we even going?!” Stoneheart winced, sighing. He hated seeing Mylene so distressed, but really what else could he do? This was the only way he could prove his devotion to her. This was the only way she could see how much she meant to him. “But I do. Finally everyone will see that they were wrong. That I’m not as bad as they think I am. They’ll see-“ His tone softened, revealing more of the Ivan she knew. “They’ll see how much you mean to me.” Chloe groaned, gagging a bit. “Can you just go ahead and kill me already? Because I’m starting to think that won’t be as bad as having to sit through all this lovey dovey crap.” Stoneheart glared at her, still keeping that soft- but now dark- tone. “Don’t worry, little monster. I’ve got a plan in mind for you too.” She sank a little, a small whimper of fear escaping her throat. Out of the corner of his eye, Stoneheart saw Cat Noir propel himself towards them, looking to close the space between them. _Seriously? Does he never know when to quit?_ “Stop him!” he barked, and a stone soldier charged towards the hero. Grabbing a car, it hurled it at Cat Noir. He was able to dodge out of the way: right into the monster’s grasp. His staff went skidding across the road, leaving him with no means of escaping. A cry of pain pierced the air, as the car finally came to a halt.

Pinning Alya to a wall.

She honestly didn’t know what happened. One minute she was recording the fight, the next she was being crushed by a car with no way of getting out. She gritted her teeth as she pushed against the vehicle, trying to make it budge in some way or at the very least give her enough room to get away. But her efforts only seemed to make it worse. The weight was starting to become unbearable; she could feel the air being crushed out of her lungs. Stars began flashing in front of her eyes, and it started to get harder and harder to breathe. “HELP!” was really the only thing she could think of screaming, swallowing her pride. Just as the world started to fade to black, the pressure weighing down on her chest suddenly vanished. Alya collapsed onto the ground, gulping in lungfuls of air as she hacked and coughed. Looking up, she froze in awe. Ladybug stood in front of her, her azure eyes alight with a fire she had never seen before. Her shoulders were squared, and she looked just about ready to rip off Stoneheart’s head. She glanced over her shoulder at Alya, passing the girl her phone. “You need to leave. It’s too dangerous for you to stay.” She picked up Cat Noir’s baton, and took off to help her partner.

_Where were you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday my dudes! :D
> 
> Here's Chapter 4, as per our agreement. I think I'll do Stormy after this: can't start turning the main characters into villains too soon, now can we?
> 
> Also, yes: Cat Noir does indeed possess the ability to think for himself in this version. I mean, cats ARE known for their intelligence after all.


	5. Fear Will Be Our Enemy

_Marinette saw the whole thing. She wasn’t sure what kicked her instincts into gear: seeing Cat Noir be hauled away by one of the stone creatures, hearing the distress in Mylene’s pleas or Alya being crushed by the car. Whatever it was, it made something snap within her. Shock turned into anger, which then transformed into determination. Grabbing her friend’s satchel, she fished inside until her fingers brushed the smooth surface of the box. Pulling it out, she snapped the lid open. A bright ball of light materialised in front of her, eventually fading to reveal Tikki. Upon seeing her former owner, her face lit up. “Marinette! I knew you’d change your mind!” Marinette gulped, stomaching her nerves. “I’m still not sure about all this, but my friend’s in danger. I need my powers.” Tikki nodded. “Then there’s no time to waste!” Marinette took a deep breath, bracing herself. “Tikki, spots on!” She didn’t panic at the light this time. She let it swallow her, replacing her normal clothes with her suit. Grabbing her yoyo, she hurled it towards a lamppost next to the car holding Alya, pulling with all her might. The car gave way and toppled over, freeing the girl. Ladybug grabbed the teen’s phone, passing it to her. “You need to leave. It’s too dangerous for you to stay.” Even though her heart was going a mile a minute, Marinette kept her voice strong and even. Alya nodded, taking her phone and scurrying off. Marinette watched her go, breathing a sigh of relief. **That’s one less problem for me to deal with.** She grabbed Cat Noir’s discarded baton, taking off towards Stoneheart._

“Cat! Extend your staff!” Something cool landed in Cat Noir’s hand, and he grinned to himself. He followed her order, prying the creature’s fist open and dropping to the ground. The creature grabbed for him, but a quick yoyo throw around his ankle saved him from that. His partner hoisted him up to a streetlight, and he was held upside down. She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry for the wait. Something else came up.” He smiled at her, winking cheekily. “Well, I did always suspect you’d find a way to turn my world upside down.” She giggled- a quaint one. “You _really_ are quite the charmer, huh?” Their conversation was interrupted by the clamour of the stone creatures stomping towards them. Ladybug’s face fell, her eyes widening. “But I think we need to work on your comedic timing!” She helped him up, and they both took off in the opposite direction of the monsters. Cat Noir looked to her in bewilderment. “Wait, we aren’t gonna fight them?” Ladybug shook her head. “No. Because they’re only puppets. If we want to fix everything, we need to take out the source. The original Stoneheart. Now we just have to find him.” The shriek of police sirens sliced through the air, as a swarm of patrol cars sped off in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. Cat Noir clicked his tongue, staring after them. “Looks like the cops beat us to it.”

The road leading to the Eiffel Tower was cordoned off by Paris’ police force by the time the heroes arrived. Stoneheart had scaled the landmark, letting off a guttural roar at the assembling army below him. Spectators flocked around the barriers, recording the entire ordeal on their phones. The Mayor switched on a megaphone, forcing his way to the front of the police squadron. “I demand you return my daughter at once!” he barked, and Ladybug noticed Cat’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Even though she was far away, the two heroes could hear the teen fire off multiple curses at the villain, giving him a piece of her mind. Stoneheart grinned wickedly. “My pleasure.” He wound his armed back, and hurled the girl towards the ground below. The Mayor gasped in horror, and Ladybug contemplated the possibility of letting Chloe fall. She sighed, and raced forward to catch her. She slung her yoyo around the girl, drawing her close and landing in a crouch. Chloe chuckled sheepishly, clearly embarrassed. “So… Any chance we can keep this whole ‘almost being turned into pavement pizza’ thing under wraps? I mean, I have a reputation to uphold.” Ladybug rolled her eyes, putting her down. _Reputation my ass._

Once she was in the custody of her father, The Mayor nodded to Officer Roger. “Alright men! Ready!” The soldiers readied their guns, aiming at the monster. Cat Noir yelped, waving his arms frantically. “Whoa whoa! You can’t shoot him! He has a captive up there! You could kill her by accident!” Roger scoffed, glaring at him with discontent in his eyes. “Oh, like I’m going to take orders from a guy in a CATSUIT. I have a plan, which can’t be said for the likes of you. Move outta the way kid, you two already fucked up once.” Cat Noir bristled, his lip curling in frustration. “Violence isn’t the answer! I know it’s hard to believe, but that villain’s only 15! Besides, we DO have a plan. Me and Ladybug have got this.” Roger raised an unconvinced eyebrow. “You mean the girl who’s curled up on the floor right there?”

Ladybug tried to catch her breath, her skin draining of all colour. She felt ready to vomit. She could feel them: all of those sets of eyes, making their cruel silent judgements. _No! Fuck! Not here! Not now!_ She clamped her eyes shut, her hands pressing into the sides of her head as she tried to calm down. _He’s right. You know he’s right. This is your fault. All your fault. I can’t do this! What was I thinking?! Of course I can’t save them! I’m useless!_ Her head start spinning, and her breathing became faster as she started hyperventilating. This was it. Game over. _Hopeless. This is hopeless! I’m hopeless!_

“Ladybug. Look at me.” A reassuring touch brought her out of her spiral. Something gently brought her back to her feet, and she was able to pry her eyes open again. Brilliant green ones met her gaze, and Cat Noir gently took her head in his hands and nudged it up to look him full on. “Look, don’t worry about what he’s saying. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” There was a soft calm in his voice: a soothing quality that helped ease her nerves. She shook her head. “No. He’s right. I should’ve done my job right the first time. If I had, then Ivan would’ve never gotten turned into Stoneheart again. Mylene wouldn’t be in danger. Innocent lives never would’ve been lost. I’m a terrible hero! You never should’ve trusted me!” Tears streamed down her face: both from her frustration and her despair. Cat Noir wiped one of her tears away, still staying collected. “No. You’re not a superhero: you’re human. You made a mistake. That’s perfectly normal. You can’t punish yourself for every slipup you make. And for the record, you’re not a failure.” He gestured to Chloe. “If it wasn’t for you, then she wouldn’t be here. And you saved that other girl too.” He shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve made my fair share of mistakes as well. I don’t know how this superhero gig works either. But…” He flashed her a smile. A genuine, heart-warming smile. “I don’t think being a hero will be nearly as fun without you by my side.” She laughed, all of her nerves melting away. Cat Noir patted her shoulder. “So, how about we show Captain Crabby up there what we’re made of?”


	6. Starting Over

“So, how much you wanna bet his akuma is in his fist again?” Ladybug hummed, squinting at the villain. “Most likely. But how are we going to get to him without hurting his captive?” Cat Noir shrugged, readying his staff. “We’ll think of something. But for now we better get a move on. After all, we’re trying to prove to all of Paris that we’re more than just two teenagers running around in skinny suits.” Ladybug nodded, that fire of determination from earlier reigniting in her eyes. “Right.”

_The man growled, his upper lip curled in fury. **Damn it! I thought I got rid of Creation! How is she-** He took a deep breath, regaining his composure. **Calm down. Getting angry over a slight fault won’t accomplish anything. Remember: he entrusted teenagers with Miraculous. They’re still inept in their duties. Still fragile. Still easy to bend.** He gently pressed two of his fingers to where his brooch was, staring ahead. **I will succeed. No matter what he throws my way.**_

****

The stone copies had flocked around the Eiffel Tower like a murder, crawling up the steel beams as the monument groaned in agony under the strain. The two heroes had reached the level where Stoneheart was, readying their weapons for combat. The villain took a few steps back, holding Mylene away from them. “I won’t let you take her away from me! Not when I’ve come this far!” Ladybug gulped, swallowing the lump growing in her throat. “Ivan, we don’t want to hurt you. Just like how you don’t want to hurt Mylene. We’re only here for your akuma. No one has to get hurt here.” The villain’s expression softened, and he looked to Mylene. “She’s telling you the truth, Ivan. You don’t have to do this. You don’t have to prove anything.” Stoneheart stared behind him, at the army of stone beings. He shook his head, sneering. “LIAR! You DO want to hurt me! Just like Kim! Just like Chloe! I’m sick of taking the fall for everyone! If it’s a monster they want, then I’ll give them one they’ll never forget!” He swung himself to the exterior of the Eiffel Tower, climbing upwards.

Cat Noir looked over to his partner, grimacing. “Well, THAT could’ve gone better. What now?” Ladybug narrowed her eyes, lost in thought. “Well, we can’t risk hurting him. But the akuma is inside the same fist he’s holding Mylene in.” Cat Noir hummed. “Yeah, and I think Lover Boy made his point pretty clear: he’s not giving her up without a fight.” Ladybug gasped, her face brightening. “Maybe we don’t _have_ to fight him.” Cat Noir cocked his head. “Come again?” She spun around to face him, grinning. “It’s so obvious! I can’t believe we didn’t think of this earlier! They’re made for each other, but they just don’t know it yet!” Her partner looked at her confused, raising an eyebrow. “So…?” _“So,_ we don’t tear them apart. We bring them closer together!” Noticing that Cat was still confused, her face fell. “Just follow my lead.” She gave chase to the supervillain, beckoning for Cat Noir to follow. “Hm. Why do I get the feeling this is gonna happen more than once?”

The stone copies had crowded around the villain, guarding him from the heroes. Ladybug exhaled sharply, her heart thumping so hard it hurt. Cat Noir readied his staff for battle, giving her a silent nod. She looked down at the yoyo, willing for her powers to give her something of use. As Cat Noir kept the soldiers at bay, Ladybug dodged between the punches and grabs, swinging herself up onto the higher ledge of the monument’s headpiece. _Come on Tikki. Give me something useful here._ “Lucky Charm!” Just like before, the yoyo became engulfed in blinding light. The light bended and twisted, fading to reveal… “A parachute?” Ladybug turned the item around in her hands, inspecting it. _Well, it beats the body suit…_ A bloodcurdling scream snapped her out of her head. Cat Noir went flying through the air, twisting his body to land in a hurried crouch. He noticed the parachute- as well as his partner’s confused expression. “Please tell me you know what you’re doing with that.” She slung it over her back, sliding her ring finger through the yoyo’s hoop. “Kind of. Get ready.” She hurled the yoyo at Stoneheart, the string wrapping itself around the back of his head and the back of his fist holding Mylene. Grunting with effort, she pulled the two closer together- causing them to kiss. Stoneheart gasped in surprise, suddenly releasing Mylene. “Mylene! NO!” he cried, realising his mistake.

Suddenly, a deep rumbling came from Stoneheart, his rocky form cracking and falling away to nothing. Ivan yelled as he plummeted off the side of the Eiffel Tower, sheer terror painted on his face. “Ivan! Mylene!” Ladybug yelped, her body freezing up as her heart leapt up into her throat. _No! Don’t you **dare** freeze up now! _“Cat Noir! Catch the akuma and Ivan! I’ll get Mylene!” Her partner nodded firmly, vaulting himself over the railing and letting gravity do the rest. Ladybug dived after him, slinging her yoyo around the girl and pulling her close. She pulled the release on the parachute, the cloth ensnaring the wind as they slowed. “Cataclysm!” She didn’t need to look over to know that Cat Noir succeeded. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye revealed her partner tearing his claws into the steel, Ivan held close to him. They reached the bottom, with Cat Noir shooting Ladybug a supportive thumbs up and a look that said _“Knew we could do it.”_ She beamed at him, nodding.

_“Thanks for sticking by me.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M NOT DEAD!
> 
> Lol jk. So sorry I haven't updated in a while guys. Believe it or not apparently I have a life beyond the series. So, to make up for my absence, have two chapters on the house. I think you'll like these ones ;)
> 
> Oh! Before I forget, I am now open to suggestions in the comments. If you have some advice, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And keep the theories coming! I love seeing all of the different takes on the story and characters you guys have, and who knows? Some of them might be true... *evil laugh*


	7. Looks Can Be Deceiving

Ivan looked at the ground in shame, digging the tip of his boot into the ground. “Sorry…” he mumbled, still refusing to look them in the eyes. Cat Noir smiled, patting him on the shoulder. “Hey. Don’t fret big guy. These things happen.” He stopped. “Well, I mean, people don’t get turned into supervillains. But you get my drift.” He looked to his partner. “Speaking of supervillains… Wanna try out your last power?” Ladybug nodded, stepping forward. “Sure!” She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “Miraculous Ladybug!” she yelled triumphantly, flinging the now used parachute into the air. A bright pink light enveloped the object, and it erupted into a mesmerising legion of brightly lit ladybugs. The army of insects swarmed the city in a charge of brilliant light, scouring every ravaged surface visible and replacing the damaged materials with new ones. They also swarmed the stone soldiers, returning them to their original state and carrying them to the ground. “Whoa…” Ladybug gasped, enchanted by the events unfolding before her. Cat Noir joined her side, smirking to himself as he took in the view. “I can’t… This is amazing! It’s… It’s…” “ _Miraculous,_ perhaps?” She chuckled. “Yeah. Miraculous. That’s it.” The ladybugs vanished as quickly as they appeared, normalcy restored to the city and their duty fulfilled.

Ladybug glanced over her shoulder, and saw that Ivan was still hesitant. He looked at Mylene, opening his mouth only to close it again. “Hey. Cat Noir. You wouldn’t happen to still have that rock on you, would you?” He opened his palm, a balled up piece of paper in place of where the akumatised object was. “Um, if you mean _this,_ ” he showed her the ball. “Then yeah. But why do you…?” She took the paper, winking at him. “You’ll see.” She walked over to Mylene, tapping her on the shoulder. “Excuse me, but I think I have something you should see.” She gently placed the piece of paper in the girl’s hand, flashing a supportive smile at Ivan and a quick thumbs up before walking away. Mylene unfolded the piece of paper, scanning the lyrics written on it. “Aww, Ivan! This is so sweet!” Ivan’s face turned twenty different shades of red. “I-It is?” Mylene smiled sweetly, nodding. “Yes! It’s too bad you can’t hear them properly when you scream- I mean when you sing.” He sighed. “I scared you, didn’t I?” Mylene glanced away for a moment, obviously embarrassed at what she was about to do. She nodded sheepishly. “Just a bit. It wasn’t so much scared, per se. You just caught me off-guard, that’s all.” Ivan’s shoulders slumped. “Right. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to. I’ll be gentler, I promise.” She didn’t respond. _Crap. Did I upset her again?_ Suddenly, Mylene wrapped Ivan into a hug: well, a sort of hug, given the height difference. His face turned bright red, but he smiled a bit to himself.

Cat Noir chuckled. “Well well. Rookie guardian angel AND budding Cupid. You really are full of surprises.” Ladybug sighed, smiling away to herself. “They’re _so_ made for each other. I just love happy endings.” She paused for a minute. “Hey… Cat Noir?” He looked to her. “T-Thanks. For sticking up for me back there. And for believing in me. I wouldn’t have done it without you.” He shrugged. “Hey, I can’t take _all_ the credit. After all, you’re the one who came up with the plan. We’re partners. You know I’ll have your back no matter what.” He raised his fist to her, staring at her expectantly. She beamed, bumping his fist with her own. A pitchy beep shattered the moment: two beeps, actually. “Ah. Right…” Cat Noir glanced glumly at his ring, then at his partner’s earrings as the spots flashed on them. He unhooked his staff from his belt, turning to leave. He paused, twisting around a bit. “So, can I expect to see you around?” He never got an answer, as Ladybug was already gone. He laughed to himself, shaking his head. “I really hope that’s not her way of saying no.”

_The man snarled, glowering at the city from the large window in front of him. “How…? How did they win? I don’t understand!” He grumbled, straightening up and smoothing off his suit. He glared at the world beyond the glass, his steely grey eyes glinting. “Don’t think this is over, Creation and Destruction. You may have won this battle, but rest assured that I will win this war. And if I have to tear what I need from your corpses…” As a mechanical shield covered the window, and the light within the conservatory grew weaker, the man’s brooch glowed an evil purple. “Then so be it.”_

Ladybug swooped in through her open bedroom window, just as the final spot on her Miraculous faded. The red suit once again peeled away, and Tikki emerged from the now rosy gold earrings. She landed on Marinette’s computer desk, shaking her head a bit to ward off the dizziness. Marinette threw herself into the chair opposite the tiny creature, her expression sullen. “Hey, Tikki? I’m really sorry about treating you like that. I never should’ve sealed you away. I just…” “Panicked?” Tikki finished, her wide blue eyes glinting with worry. “I suppose that was one of those ‘panic attacks’ you mentioned, wasn’t it? I sensed the same distress whenever you were Ladybug.” Marinette took a deep breath, burying her face in her hands. “Yeah. It was. Like I said, no matter what I do I can’t shake them. I’m so sorry you had to see me like that. I wasn’t thinking straight.” Tikki whizzed up to her charge, stopping at eye level. “Marinette, you shouldn’t blame yourself for being human. You and Destruction saved the city: and that’s what matters. Besides, do you really think you’re the first Ladybug who’s made mistakes?” Marinette cracked open her fingers a bit, glimpsing at the kwami. “Really?” Tikki nodded. “That’s the thing about Creation. Nothing about it is perfect. If anything, it’s its own form of chaos. But from chaos comes fruition. That’s what I love about my holders. Each one has their own unique style, their own way of solving the problems presented to them. And I can’t wait to see how you use the Ladybug Miraculous. That is, of course, if you’re willing to have me.”

Marinette dipped her head, brow knitting together in concentration. _Do I want to do this? Do I want to keep being Ladybug?_ She remembered the pain she caused, all of the poor people who were turned into stone soldiers because of _her_ mistake. The pain was still raw, and she remembered each emotion with excruciating accuracy. _You’ll mess up. Of course you will._ Then she remembered the wonder in Alya’s eyes as she gushed over Paris’ newest protectors. She remembered the chaos of Stoneheart’s second attack: how genuinely terrifying it was to see unfold. The heart-warming reunion of Ivan and Mylene, the adrenaline rush of soaring through the air. Then she remembered Cat Noir, and how supportive he was. How even though she could’ve very well gotten him killed, he had faith in her. When no one else did.

_“We’re partners. You know I’ll have your back no matter what.”_

_Partners…_ Her fingers absently wandered to her earrings, her fingertips ghosting over the cool, glossy metal. She raised her head, looking at Tikki. “Yes.” The kwami’s antennae twitched with excitement. “Really? You mean it?” Marinette nodded, her gaze determined. “Absolutely. I want to keep being Ladybug.” Tikki squealed in glee, whizzing around her new charge excitedly. “Oh, I’m so happy! I can’t wait to work alongside you!” Marinette laughed, her mood brightening. “Okay, okay! Calm down! You’re supposed to be a _secret,_ remember?”

Adrien let out a heavy sigh of relief, slumping down onto the couch as he ran his hands through his hair. “Thank God that’s over with. If Paris ever gets attacked by an army of indestructible stone monsters again, it’ll be too soon.” Plagg looked up from his rancid feast, dislodging his fangs from the Camembert’s crusty rind so that he could speak properly. “Uh, kid? Hate to be an ass, but you _do_ realise that Ivan guy was just the appetiser, right? Whoever’s behind this probably has a whole _army_ of supervillains tucked away somewhere.” He took a noisy bite out of his revolting treat, spraying crumbs as he continued. “Besides, you still need to convince people Adrien Agreste and Cat Noir are two separate people. And since your father has a huge magnifying glass over your personal life, that just makes things harder for the _both_ of us.” He noticed that the boy wasn’t paying attention. “HEY! I’m unloading some ancient wisdom on you here! You can at least PRETEND to be interested!” Adrien snapped out of his daze, blinking hard. “Sorry. I was listening, I swear. I was just thinking about Ladybug.” Plagg raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk spreading on his face. _“Ooh la la!_ Does the stray have a soft spot for his _lovebug?_ ” Adrien sighed. “Very funny, Plagg. No, I meant I was thinking about maybe asking her to meet up sometime. Since we never got to introduce ourselves properly.” Plagg’s ears flattened on his head, and he grumbled. “Hmph. You humans are no fun. All emotions this, feelings that. What have feelings ever done for anyone?”


	8. Hope Reignited

“Marinette? Hello?” Marinette blinked rapidly, dragging herself out of her daze. “Yeah, sorry. You were saying?” Alya rolled her eyes, a faint smile breaking out on her face. “Don’t tell me I’ve befriended a girl who lives her life with her head in the clouds. As I was saying, by the time I got to the fight it was over! Ladybug and Cat Noir had already left! It was _so_ annoying!” Marinette patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll get your interview someday. You just have to be patient.” Alya feigned a huff, pretending to pout before her laughter gave her away. “Alright, alright. I’ll put away the pitchfork for now. But only because you said so.” She stopped in her tracks, cocking her head as she squinted at Marinette. “Um… Alya? Is everything okay?” Her best friend cupped her hand around Marinette’s ear, bringing it closer. “Since when did you wear earrings? I didn’t even know you had your ears pierced!” Marinette swatted her hand away, her brain kicking into overdrive to come up with an excuse believable enough to deter her friend’s suspicion. “O-Of course I do! I had them done a little while back! And I, um, just got these recently as a gift from my… grandma?” Alya hummed, her eyes narrowing. _Fuck. This is it! Game over! I didn’t even last one day!_ Alya sighed, shrugging. “If you say so.” Marinette waited for the girl to walk a little while away, before she decided to start breathing again and follow suit.

Adrien sighed heavily, rolling his eyes as he tuned Nathalie’s schedule jargon into white noise. He gazed sullenly out the tinted window of the Mercedes, watching hopelessly as the world beyond the glass taunted him, out of reach.

The car stopped.

“Um, Nathalie? I thought I was supposed to be on my way to a photoshoot.” Nathalie nodded to the bodyguard, who pulled on the brakes. “Yes, about that…” She gestured the window: to the school. Adrien gasped, snapping his head between the building and the woman. “You mean…?” She nodded curtly. “I will have to discuss the specifics with your father, but I’ve arranged for you to attend Francois-Dupont. I’ve also taken the liberty of creating a new schedule that fits in with your enrolment here. However, you’re still expected to partake in your Chinese lessons, fencing practice and photoshoots as normal. If you need a tutor for any subject, I will try to arrange one for you.” She stopped the smile playing at the edges of her mouth from surfacing. _Have to keep things professional._ Adrien was practically jumping up and down in excitement, barely containing his unbridled joy. “You really did all this… for me?” He wrapped the assistant into a hug, before almost tearing the car door off its hinges as he leapt out of the vehicle. “Thanks Nathalie! You’re the best!” She watched him go, a soft laugh escaping her throat as she smiled. “You know, I think that’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”

“Hey! Nino! Wait up!” Nino pulled his headphones down, turning his head towards the voice. “Oh, hey Adrien.” He noticed that the boy was _way_ more excitable than he was yesterday. He glanced behind his new friend. “Um, what are you looking at?” “I was just wondering where you were hiding your puppy dog tail.” Adrien looked at him confused for a long minute, before a light of realisation flashed in his eyes. “Oh! Ha, good one! Sorry, I’m just really happy!” Nino raised an eyebrow, nudging him playfully with his elbow. “Really? What’s got you all hyped up, dude?” Adrien beamed so widely Nino was mildly concerned his face was going to split in two. “I’m allowed to go here! For real this time!” Nino smiled, hugging the boy close by the shoulder. “Nice! Guess it pays to be a charming teen model after all. I’m happy for you, man.” He noticed that Adrien had spaced out, gazing absently into the distance. “Yo, Adrien? Hello? Anyone home?” Adrien raised a finger, pointing to a girl walking towards their classroom. “Who’s that girl? The oneQ with the dark blue hair?” Nino followed his gaze, finally settling on who he was looking at. “Ah. That’s Marinette Dupain. Her folks own the bakery next to the school.” He narrowed his eyes, squinting. “I don’t recognise the redhead though. Must be a newbie.” Adrien hummed. “Well, what’s she like?” Nino shrugged. “Dunno. She never bothers with anyone. Hey, wait a minute…” He smirked knowingly at his friend. “You got a crush on her?” Adrien shook his head. “What? No. She just… looks familiar somehow…”

Marinette paused as she entered the classroom, gazing up to her usual seat in the second row. The one Chloe stole from her just last year. The memory still touched a raw nerve or two every time she remembered it. Suddenly, an idea sprung into her head. She gently grabbed Alya’s arm, prompting her to stop. “How about we sit up there? There’s a better view.” Alya followed her gesture, shrugging. “Sure. Don’t see why not.” They set their stuff down at the second row, just as Adrien came into the room. He was busy talking to that Nino boy again, as he took his seat in the row in front of him. Alya gave Marinette the side eye, raising an eyebrow. “Better view, huh?” Marinette scoffed. “I didn’t mean it like _that._ I meant of the board.” Her friend smirked. “Sure. I mean, what was I thinking? It’s not like you were gawking at him yesterday or anything.” Marinette playfully punched her on the arm. “Yeah, because he’s _famous_ and attending public high school. I think that justifies gawking.” A person cleared their throat, attracting the girls’ attention. Chloe was standing next to them, drumming her fingers on the desk as she glowered at Marinette. “I really hate to break up the boy chat, but you’re sitting in my seat. Beat it. Now.” Marinette stared her dead in the eyes.

“No.”

Chloe blinked hard, momentarily speechless at the defiance. “Excuse me?” Marinette bolted to her feet, staring her assailant down. “I said NO. I’m not moving. This was my seat before you stole it. I’m taking back what’s mine.” Their confrontation had now drawn the attention of their other classmates, who were watching the spectacle unfold. Chloe laughed harshly, looking around her. “Well, the scaredy cat finally grew a pair! What an _unpleasant_ surprise. I mean it: move it, or else.” Marinette still held her ground, in spite of her knees going a bit weak from nerves. “Or else WHAT? You’ll throw your sunglasses at me?” The class gasped, and Marinette could physically see Chloe’s jaw tense up from her grinding her teeth. She smiled at her, picking up Marinette’s bag and pulling out her sketchbook. “No. I’ll do _this._ ” She ripped the book in two, some rogue pages drifting to the floor. The bully smiled innocently at Marinette. “Oops.” She dropped the two covers, grinding one into the floor with her heel as she turned and went to the front row.

Marinette collapsed into her seat, stifling a sob as she stared at her hard work discarded onto the floor. Alya growled, getting up from her seat. “Why, that little-!” Marinette put a hand on her shoulder. “Alya… Don’t. This was my fault. I shouldn’t have provoked her.” She dragged herself out of her seat, her face burning with humiliation as she kneeled down to salvage what she could. A hand picked up a page she was reaching for, holding it out for her to take. She looked up, and was met with brilliant green eyes. Adrien beamed at her, offering the page to her. “Need some help?” She snatched it out of his hands, staring coldly at him as she continued gathering the pages. “No. I’m _fine,_ thanks,” she bit out through her teeth, refusing to look at him. She scoffed. “You’re friends with Chloe, right?” She stood up, hugging the carcass of her sketchbook close to her chest as she turned away. “Figures.” She skulked back to her seat, shooting Adrien a dirty look. He silently opened his mouth, his thoughts clogging in his throat as he closed it again. _Why does everyone keep saying that?_ He glanced at Chloe, who was smiling away to herself. He could feel his heart clench up, as he glared at her silently. _Why are you acting like this? What did you do with the Chloe Bourgeois I know?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the wise words of that old lady from On My Block: "Bitches be crazy." 
> 
> Good news: Origins Part Two is COMPLETE! Well, at least it is on my laptop. I’ll be uploading the last two chapters over the course of the next week, so be sure to check back on Saturdays and Wednesdays.
> 
> Speaking of which, I think I’ll be cutting my uploading schedule down to Saturdays only for Episode 3. Life’s been pretty crazy for me lately, so... Um, sorry guys.
> 
> BUT! You will be glad to know that I have an official Season One plan set out on Google Docs. Yes- the episodes will be... IN ORDER! Dun dun dun!
> 
> Ugh... I’m just trying to slog through Season One so that I can get the ball rolling in Season Two. Bear with me guys: we’re getting there. And believe you me, you do NOT want to miss Season Two. (God, I never realised how much filler was in Season One until I started writing this series.)
> 
> I don’t really have anything else to say, so...
> 
> Bug out! 
> 
> (See y’all Wednesday! :D)


	9. In The Rain

Nino saw the whole thing. No duh: he was sitting right next to Adrien. He wasn’t really sure what everyone else’s reaction was, but he personally could feel his blood begin to broil in his veins when he saw Chloe looking so pleased with herself, that Godforsaken cocky smirk on her face for everyone to see. Marinette just wanted her seat back- it’s not like she punched Chloe in the face. She didn’t deserve to have one of her personal belongings ripped to shreds right in front of the class. Still, the way she acted towards Adrien was admittedly a bit harsh. He supposed he should’ve told the poor guy about his friend’s “reputation”. Adrien slumped back into his seat, hurt in his eyes. Nino sighed. “Sorry dude. I should’ve told you: Chloe has a mean streak around here.” Adrien didn’t answer. Nino nudged him gently, as if any hint of a harsh touch would make the boy crumble away. “Adrien? Yo, you okay?” Adrien shook his head hard, a steely determination breaking out on his face. “I _have_ to make this up to her.” His face fell, as he slumped his shoulders. “Somehow…” Nino hummed, leaning back in his seat as the cogs in his head whirred. “Well, via association with the Ice Queen, Marinette thinks you’re bitchy and selfish. So, we need to get a way to prove otherwise…” he murmured, brow furrowing in concentration.

Adrien sighed deeply, glancing behind him at Marinette, who was slipping the grimed pages into what was left of her sketchbook’s covers. “I don’t think there’s any point. She probably hates me now…” Nino gasped, clicking his fingers as realisation flashed brightly in his eyes. “I’ve got it!” He turned to Adrien, planting his hand on his shoulder. “Be yourself!” Adrien leaned back, grimacing. “…What?” Nino grinned at him, nodding to Marinette. “She thinks you’re some snobby, stuck up rich model kid, right?” Adrien nodded his head slowly, still trying to read Nino’s expression to see where _exactly_ this conversation was going. “Y-Yes? But how is that going to help me? My reputation is what’s gotten me into this mess.” Nino chuckled, a wistful look in his eyes. “And _that_ , my dude, is what we’re going to use to get you out. It’s a little thing in the movies we like to call _“subverting expectations”_. The audience expects a character to be one way, and they turn out to be the exact opposite.” Adrien stared at him blankly. “Nino, what do movies have to do with Marinette hating me?” Nino shook his head. “No dude. This _is_ relevant, I promise. In this case, _Marinette_ is the audience and _you’re_ the character.” Adrien’s face brightened. “Ah, I see! I just have to show her I’m not who she thinks I am!” Nino smiled at him, patting his shoulder. “Now you’re getting it. Looks _and_ smarts: whoever said all blondes are dumb?” Adrien frowned. “No, wait. That won’t work. I don’t think she’d like the other me much better.” Nino gazed at him for a minute, before taking a deep breath. “Look, just be yourself. If you end up blowing it, at the very least Marinette will respect your honesty. So you’ll have that.” Adrien nodded, giving his friend a small smile. “Right. Thanks Nino.”

\------------------------------

 _Of course it’s raining._ What started off as a dreary but dry afternoon quickly became a downpour from Hell, with rain lashing down from the dark clouds above looking to terrorise anyone foolish enough to walk home without a way to defend themselves. And, true to form, Marinette had forgotten her umbrella. The musty smell of wet asphalt drifted upwards from the drenched pavements, as the rain kept pouring down. She reached her hand out from the confines of her school’s archway, withdrawing it when the rainfall spat at her. _Yeah. No. I’m not gonna take my chances in **that.**_ She sighed heavily, gripping her schoolbag tighter. Besides the obvious, she didn’t want to expose Tikki to the harsh conditions. She wasn’t sure if ancient beings capable of turning people into superheroes could catch the common cold, but she would rather find out later rather than sooner.

“Hey.” Marinette turned her head to the stranger’s voice: and immediately snapped it away again. Adrien was standing next to her, pulling out his own umbrella from his satchel for the journey home. She bit her tongue: she didn’t want nor need to reply. He opened his mouth, about to speak, only to shut it again. He sighed, lowering the umbrella. “I feel like I should apologise for Chloe’s actions. She isn’t usually like this, I swear.” Marinette laughed dryly. “I think you have a different Chloe in mind. The one I know always does stuff like that.” A heavy silence bore down on the pair, filling the space between them painfully fast. Adrien looked away for a long minute, glancing back at Marinette. “You know, if it’s worth anything to you, I thought it was really brave. The way you stood up to Chloe like that.” Marinette swivelled her head around to face him, blinking hard. He was beaming at her: a quaint, supportive smile. “Um... Thank you?” Her brain was scrabbling to make sense of this. _He does realise this is the part where he ridicules me and calls me names, right? Why is he acting so nice to me?_

A pitch black Mercedes slunk up to the school, pulling to a halt. Adrien walked towards it: but stopped a little bit out the doorway. “I’ve… never had many friends before. I know that doesn’t justify not saying something, but the idea of going to school is still… _new,_ to me.” He gazed at the umbrella in his hand: before holding it out to Marinette. She remained frozen for a moment, her expression one of flattery and confusion. Gingerly, she reached out to take the umbrella, her fingers lightly brushing against his. She withdrew for a second, before reaching again and gently taking the hilt in her hand.

Then Fate decided to make itself known and turn the umbrella into a Venus Flytrap.

Adrien stared at Marinette for a few minutes, who’s head was now one with the inside of the umbrella. He started snickering, which became a hearty, good natured laugh. Marinette peeled away the flap of fabric covering her face, finding herself giggling at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. It was so strange. She was used to being laughed at, not laughed _with._ When the laughter subsided, and she managed to untangle herself from the umbrella, Marinette found herself looking Adrien in the eyes. “Hey, um… I’m sorry for being rude earlier. I guess I was just still pissed off at Chloe.” She suddenly perked up. “Actually… Let me make it up to you. How would you feel about hanging out sometime? Get to know each other better?” Adrien gasped softly, beaming brightly as he nodded. “Sure! That would be awesome!”

An impatient honk came from the Mercedes, and Marinette peered over Adrien’s shoulder. He sighed deeply. “Guess that’s my cue…” He paused. “You know, I have a photoshoot tomorrow afternoon. In the park. You’re more than welcome to stop by. Maybe once it’s done we can hang out.” Marinette blinked rapidly. “Seriously? Wait, won’t I just get in the way?” Adrien chuckled. “Nah. Don’t worry. If Giuseppe asks I’ll just say I invited you personally. Plus, it’ll be nice to have someone my own age there to keep me company.” Marinette smiled, nodding. “Cool! It’s a date!” Adrien startled, jumping back a bit. She realised her mistake, an embarrassed red brushing her cheeks as she bit out a rushed apology. “Ah! Sorry! Poor choice of words! It won’t be like an _actual_ date or anything! Ugh. You get the idea.” Adrien gave her another polite smile, waving goodbye as he made his way to the car. Tikki poked her head out of Marinette’s pocket, her expression puzzled. “Is that the new way humans become friends?” Marinette groaned. “Nope. That was just me being a complete idiot. As usual. But hey, there’s one upside to all this. I learned that there may be more to Mr. Perfect Adrien Agreste than meets the eye.” Her face fell. “Damn, I feel really bad now. He was being genuine in class and I gave him the cold shoulder just because he’s friends with Chloe…” Tikki gazed at her charge, flashing a sympathetic smile. “It’s an easy mistake to make. Just be thankful you caught on early.”

“My oh my Casanova! Aren’t _you_ a charmer? Winning over two hearts in one day!” Plagg crooned, batting his eyelashes at Adrien. The boy scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Oh ha ha. Very funny Plagg. And I haven’t charmed anyone. I already told you: I’m looking to befriend Ladybug, not sweep her off her feet.” Plagg smirked knowingly. “Hmm. _Sure_ you are. Then would ya mind explain what _that_ little moment was about? Do I smell young love in the air?” Adrien shook his head. “I think that’s your breath you’re smelling. She’s just a friend.” He paused, a smile spreading on his face. “A friend… Nino’s advice worked.” He got into the back seat of the car, and it pulled away into the dark afternoon.

The old man smiled wistfully, watching the two teenagers part ways from the shell of the umbrella. Wayzz was hovering next to him, nodding in satisfaction. “I will admit. You have made a wise choice, Master.” The man glanced at the Kwami, smirking. “See? You really must have more faith in my decision-making skills, Wayzz. I may be old, but I’m not weary.” He stroked the wispy grey beard on his chin thoughtfully. “I have no doubt that they will succeed.” Wayzz hummed. “Are you going to tell them?” The old man thought hard for a minute, frowning. “No. Not yet. There is a right time for everything, Wayzz. Tell them too early, and they will be confused and upset. Too late, and they will feel betrayed and deceived. But don’t worry. When it is time, I will tell them everything. For now, let them settle. Get used to their powers. Get used to each other.”


	10. Epilogue

_“Nooroo. Dark wings fall.” The man became engulfed in violet light, as his guise fell away into the darkness. Nooroo shot out of the brooch, drowsy as he bobbed up and down in the air. He groaned, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the dark. The man was breathing heavily, clenching and unclenching his right hand as he silently fumed. “M-Master…? Is everything okay?” He straightened up, and Nooroo gasped as he flinched away. The man sighed deeply. “I’m fine, Nooroo. Just… upset, that’s all.” The kwami gulped, gingerly nodding his head as he cowered. “R-Right. Yes. Of course. Upset.” Suddenly, the creature’s antennae twitched. He spun around, his wide eyes flicking over the dark room. Was that…?_

_There it was again._

_The kwami snapped his head around, trying to pinpoint the noise. Again. The left? No. In front of him. No. Wait. Towards the window. Hang on a minute… Nooroo narrowed his eyes: then gasped in horror. Butterflies covered the room, fluttering about in the dark as the noise of their wings filled the empty space in between them. It was almost suffocating, how many there were. Nooroo slowly turned to face the man, quivering. “M-Master…? H-H-How many v-villains are you p-planning on ma-making?” he croaked, his tiny voice a harsh whisper. The man stared dead ahead, his expression unreadable. His words sent icicles shooting down Nooroo’s spine, freezing him with dread._

_“As many as I have to.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double chapters!
> 
> Yeah, I decided to round out this instalment of the franchise with a little cliff hanger courtesy of our main baddie. Be sure to write your theories on what's going to happen next in the comments!
> 
> Anyways, it's midnight where I am, so I have to cut this short. Sorry.
> 
> Bug out! I'll see you all in Stormy Weather! Be sure to bring your umbrellas and popcorn!


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